Feeling sympathy (or not) for Snape (was: CHAPDISC HBP 15, The Unbreakable Vow)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 152085

SSS notes:  I've rearranged a couple of Carol's comments for the sake 
of how I wanted to respond; hopefully it didn't upset the logic of 
the remarks or anything.

Carol asked:
> > > 7) Did you feel any sympathy for Snape during this conversation?
> > > Why or why not?
 
SSSusan responded:
> > None at all.  Can't imagine any reason *to* have felt sympathy, 
> > frankly. 
 
Carol again:
> Slughorn kept saying things like "I don't think even you, Severus--
> ," making Harry sound like a Potions genius who was more brilliant 
> than Teen!Snape when it was young Severus whose marginal notes he 
> was using to get those brilliant results. Unfair! And to top it 
> off, Slughorn credits Harry's supposed exceptional ability to a 
> genetic inheritance from Lily, again shunting Snape into second 
> place....

SSSusan:
Yes, indeed, this all happened. I suppose I just didn't *feel* for 
Snape there.  I mean, it was amusing to me that his talents were 
being rather ignored.  Callous of me, I know. ;-)


Carol: 
> Interestingly, even the narrator (and Harry?) seemed to empathize 
> for a moment with Snape, referring to him as "trapped" as Slughorn 
> puts an arm around him and drags him willy nilly into the 
> conversation. (Poor Sevvy; he'd have preferred to "skulk"!)

SSSusan:
Hee.  Yes, I'm sure he'd have preferred skulking to doing *any*thing 
willy nilly!  But again, the truth is that I simply didn't 
commiserate with a "trapped" Severus.  Slughorn tends to trap all 
kinds of people in his embrace (figuratively, like those he corraled 
into his train compartment, or literally, like Snape under his bulky 
arm), and I guess I focused more on Slughorn being at it again than I 
did on how the recipient felt about it.  Which, come to think about 
it, is interesting... as I definitely felt for Ginny, squirming 
uncomfortably (IIRC) when she'd been been tapped for her outstanding 
bat bogey hex.   

 
Carol:
> I don't think that Snape felt sorry for *himself* or that he 
> resented Slughorn's treatment of him. 
<snip>  I doubt that he suspects the source of Harry's information at 
> this point, but his suspicions are certainly aroused. 

SSSusan:
I also don't think Snape felt sorry for himself, though I think he 
might have been *annoyed* at Slughorn's treatment... or perhaps 
annoyed by his obtuseness in not grasping that there was something 
fishy about Potter's outstanding potions performance.  (I too believe 
that Snape *was* suspicious, more than puzzled, by the report.)


Carol: 
> I *did* feel sorry for Snape, even on a first reading before I knew
> for sure that he was the Half-Blood Prince, because it seemed as if,
> once again, his brilliance wasn't being fully acknowledged and 
> others were bing credited with his accomplishments. 
> <snip>
> Carol, wondering why SSS saw no reason to sympathize with Snape in
> this scene

SSSusan:
In all honesty, I think the difference is that I felt no *empathy* 
for Snape in this scene, and so therefore I also felt no sympathy.  I 
think you (Carol) tend to feel *empathy* for Severus Snape, and so 
it's more likely that you will also have a sympathetic response.  I'm 
just an old meanie when it comes to Snape. ;-)  

I mean, I'm convinced he's DDM!, and I find him a fascinating person, 
but I definitely don't like the guy.  I *might* by the end of Book 7, 
but that's TBD.  So when I read about him being given a bit of a hard 
time, I tend to think things like, "See how it feels??" 

Consider his treatment of Harry as a contrast.  Honestly, Harry did 
NOT display outstanding skill in Snape's classes, but Snape 
frequently belittled him, humiliated him, above all others.  He 
clearly did not credit Harry for the skills he possessed or the work 
he did accomplish.  So, again, I find it rather amusing when Snape's 
own skills & accomplishments are... "underacknowledged," shall we say?

Siriusly Snapey Susan